The incident happened around 9pm on Tuesday, April 15 when the woman received a call from a man claiming to be an officer with the Metropolitan Police. He told the woman they had someone in custody who was using her details fraudulently.

He knew her name and address and advised that she call her bank to cancel all her cards.

She hung up and immediately dialled her bank, using the number on the back of her card. However it’s thought the connection had not been disconnected and the woman ended up talking to the conmen who proceeded to ask her for security and card information and told her to enter her PIN in the telephone keypad.

The woman did this for a number of cards before the call finished. After she hung up the phone rang again and she was speaking to the man claiming to be the police officer who told her she had been the victim of serious fraud and that she had to send all her cards to their fraud department.

He then said she needed to withdraw several thousand pounds and send it to them as they needed to test it. At this point the woman became suspicious and said she would go to local police about the matter. The man became increasingly verbally forceful and tried to stop her, before she hung up on him.

A few moments later she decided to call a family member about what had happened and dialled the number that was answered by a male voice that she quickly realised was not the relative she had called. She again hung up and used her mobile to call her relative.

It was quickly determined that it had all been a scam and all the cards were cancelled, and it appears nothing was stolen.

Police are again urging residents to be extremely cautious when dealing with telephone callers and are reminding you that genuine police officers and bank officials will never ask you for your PIN or for to send them money.

Never give out personal information to unknown callers and please wait at least ten minutes before making any calls out, or use a mobile or friend/ neighbours phone instead.